1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle distance measurement system and method in which an accurate distance to a leading vehicle is measured even when a vehicle runs at night.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Systems that are able to recognize a vehicle in the front or back of a driver's own vehicle and implement various functions have been recently mounted on the own vehicle. Such systems provide an image of a front or back vehicle on a display screen to the vehicle driver directly or provide specific information inserted through a specific step to the vehicle driver.
For example, among such systems, a collision prevention system for safety of vehicle drivers detects vehicles around the own vehicle using a radar that senses the vehicles and a camera that outputs an image of the vehicles, so that collision between the own vehicle and the front or back vehicle can be prevented.
Recently, there is an increasing need for a vehicle recognition method that is able to perform recognition of vehicles only with an image output from a camera without assistance of a peripheral device such as a radar for a simple structure and a low production cost of the system.
Accordingly, there is a method of measuring a distance to a leading vehicle by recognizing a tire tread of the leading vehicle using a camera and a sensor, but it is difficult to measure an accurate distance to the leading vehicle by recognizing the tread of the vehicle using the camera and the sensor due to a dark illumination at night.